Yes, ChristineB, I agree about the going nuts part. I was all excited about getting a limited edition of UNDER THE DOME until I heard about all the ARCS, the limited British edition, the Italian 'true'? 1st edition, etc. I have now thrown my hands in the air and given up. Back in my, ah, younger days I would probably try to hunt down all the '1st' Miserys with every combination of end paper colors and publishers, but I no longer think it is worth the trouble.

Almost 3 years ago now, after a xmas where my husband and I didn't get each other anything major, I was looking at SK's book and mentioned that I would like to have all his books in 1/1. Well, after 2 months of researching the subject I came to the conculsion that my collection would consist of 1/1 US trade editions. This came due to some thread I read on some website (yes, I am old, I have slept a little since then) where they were discussing the DT5-7 releases with all the collectors editions and what not and which one was considered the "true" 1st edition due to when they were all published. That's all it took for me. I decided right then I could spend a fortune trying to get every edition of every book or I could be happy with trade editions and not go bonkers trying to find them all.

I kinda agree with SK on this subject, I have yet to see the point in owning a bunch of books that I would only own for the bragging rights of owning them. *heartattack alert for you major collectors out there* I read the books I own, granted when I read my copy of Carrie I did it in a closed room without the dogs and put it down and left the room to have a snack or take a drink, but I read it.

I don't have any problem with others owning these books but for me it just isn't that important to have a book I will only look at from the other side of the glass case I put it in.

Christine, I can completely understand you. You've decided to limit yourself to getting only the first/first printings of each of King's works. If that's what it takes to satisfy you, then so be it. But what do you do with the really scarce items, such as The New Lieutenant's Rap (a VERY limited distribution) or Six Stories (not such a limited number, but still fairly expensive)? Neither has ever been, nor will they probably be, reprinted in a more accessible format. (Although the stories in Six Stories have all been published elsewhere.)

I'm truely not criticizing you, I'm just curious.

I, myself, have been trying to get all of King's works in first/first trade editions, both US and UK, all of King's US and UK signed limiteds (although I've decided to pass on the lettered editions--those are just too expensive for me), all the ARCs/proofs for both US and UK, all the magazines with King's stories (not necessarily the non-fiction, though) and the anthologies with King's first printings of some of his stories in them. I also, though on a more limited basis, try to get lots of the anthologies with King's stories, even though they are not the first appearances. Of course, I don't EVER expect to complete this, but it sure makes it fun to keep looking!

What don't I collect? If it's a King work in a language I don't understand (which is all but English), I'm not interested. Much of his non-fiction articles hold no real interest for me. As I said, the lettered editons of the signed limiteds are just too expense, as is the signed numbered edition of The Gunslinger. I just don't have the money for that, although if I came across a really good deal...

jhanic wrote:Christine, I can completely understand you. You've decided to limit yourself to getting only the first/first printings of each of King's works. If that's what it takes to satisfy you, then so be it. But what do you do with the really scarce items, such as The New Lieutenant's Rap (a VERY limited distribution) or Six Stories (not such a limited number, but still fairly expensive)? Neither has ever been, nor will they probably be, reprinted in a more accessible format. (Although the stories in Six Stories have all been published elsewhere.)

John

That's a fair question, I do want to obtain Six Stories in the trade edition, however it may be something that will wait for a very long time. As to the other, that is only as a special edition and I can reserve myself to have the original story in Everything Eventual, which is stated as the original story before he revised it for this special issue, and is the trade printing of the story. I am still holding out hope of finding DTIV at an acceptable price (in my world that price is like $40-50 tops (yes I know I may be waiting a lifetime for that).

I have just started looking at getting the first printings of his short stories, but to be honest I am not terribly happy with this idea since magazines don't wear as well as books and tend to be harder to find good deals on. But I may become a estate and library sale junky soon.

I still have the collector's mentality of wanting every English language edition of every author I collect (about 10 or so), but have long realized, unless I win the Mega Millions, that that will now never be possible. I DO like having books that I only look at through the glass in my bookshelves, for some reason they comfort me. Everybody needs something to do to keep them interested and happy in life and I think collecting books is one of the nicer ways of doing this, if you have the money and time to pay and look for them. It's definitely harder to accomplish this with Stephen King though, I admit! Especially with the current economy.

Yeah, King isn't the 'easiest' author to collect... I like to see myself as a kind of 'intermediate' collector: I do want (and almost have) all of the US and UK 1st/1sts in hardback (except of course when the 1st/1st is a paperback, such as the first volumes of the UK Dark Tower series). I also want (and almost have ) all of the limited gift editions. And I like to get as many proofs/ARCs as possible. But I don't feel the urge to collect signed/limiteds, super-expensive proofs, anthologies, magazines, etcetera. Everyone gets to decide for themselves what makes them happy

For me that also includes, for example, collecting all the UK NEL pockets, the ones with the great and colourful cover art:

I have 2 copies of Misery, both say "First published in 1987 by Viking Penguin Inc." They both were printed by Arcata Graphics. However, one has gold lettering on the spine and the other has red. Does anyone know if this is significant?

I know THE TOMMYKNOCKERS has two different dust wrapper colors on the front of the dust jacket, but I don't recall MISERY as having two different colors on the spine. Mine is red and printed by R.R. Donnelley and Sons.